NARRATIVE OF AN 



for fhelter under the very fame tree which had fupported, 

 him juft before ; but the foldier inftantly advancing, 

 and putting the muzzle of his mufket to the rebel's ear, 

 blew out his brains, while feveral of his countrymen, in 

 fpite of their fpells and charms, fhared the fame fate. 



'Being now about to enter the town, a rebel captain, 

 wearing a tarnifhed gold-laced hat, and bearing in his 

 hand a torch of flaming ftraw, feeing their ruin inevita- 

 ble, had the refolution to flay and fet the town on fire 

 in our prefence, which, by the drynefs of the houfes, in- 

 ftantly produced a general conflagration, when the firing 

 from the woods began gradually to ceafe. This bold and 

 mafterly manoeuvre not only prevented that carnage to 

 which the common foldiers in the heat of vidlory are but 

 too prone, but alfo afforded the enemy an opportunity of 

 retreatiiig with their wives and children, and carrying off 

 their moft ufeful effedts ; whilft our purfuit, and feizing 

 the fpoil, were at once fruftrated both by the afcending 

 flames, and the unfathomable marih, which we foon dif- 

 covered on all fides to furround us, as in the Maccabees :. 



Behold the hattk is before us, and behind us, and the water 

 " of-Jordan on this fide, and that fide, and the marjh^ and for eft ^ 

 " fo that there is no place for us to turn afide." 



I mufl: indeed confefs that within this laft hour the 

 continued noife of the firing, fhouting, fwearing, and 

 hallooing of black and white men mixed together; 

 the groans of the wounded and the dying, all weltering 

 2 in 



